'Cats clutch a shaky cushion

Tri-City builds a 9-2 lead, then holds on after Vermont pulls to within three runs

Jess Koehle, Times Union

By Jess Koehler

Published 11:48 pm, Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tri-City ValleyCats batter Dan Gulbransen hits a homerun during the game against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City ValleyCats batter Jon Kemmer swings at a pitch during the second game against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City ValleyCats batter Jon Kemmer swings at a pitch during the...

Tri-City ValleyCats batter Tony Kemp takes a hard swing for a homerun during the second game of the series against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City ValleyCats batter Tony Kemp takes a hard swing for a...

Tri-City ValleyCats runner James Ramsay slides in to tag up on a close play at second base during the second game in the series against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City ValleyCats runner James Ramsay slides in to tag up on a...

Tri-City ValleyCats infielder Ryan Dineen recovers from nearly dropping a fly ball to make the out during the game against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City ValleyCats infielder Ryan Dineen recovers from nearly...

Tri-City ValleyCats D'Andre Toney warms up in right field as the sun sets on the game against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City ValleyCats D'Andre Toney warms up in right field as the...

Tri-City ValleyCats relief pitcher Albert Minnis throws the ball during the game against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City ValleyCats relief pitcher Albert Minnis throws the ball...

Tri-City ValleyCats infielder Thomas Lindauer tags out the runner attempting to steal second base during the game against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City ValleyCats infielder Thomas Lindauer tags out the runner...

Tri-City ValleyCats Dan Gulbransen crosses the plate after hitting a homerun during the game against the Vermont Lake Monsters at Joe bruno Stadium, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union)

Tri-City had preserved what appeared to be a comfortable advantage through seven innings in its matchup against Vermont on Tuesday evening.

Holding a seven-run lead heading into the top of the eighth inning, the ValleyCats allowed the Lake Monsters back into the contest, but eventually fended off the visitors for a 9-6 win at Bruno Stadium.

"We continued to swing the bats well," Tri-City manager Ed Romero said. "We continued to add on those insurance runs late in the ballgame and they were key."

The ValleyCats grabbed a 7-2 lead in the sixth inning when three runs scored on an error by Vermont right fielder Kelvin Rojas with two outs.

The hosts extended their lead to 9-2 the next inning before Vermont started to chip away, scoring four times to pull to within three runs.

"They came back there at the end a little bit, but luckily we had enough runs to where it didn't damage us at the end and we were able to get the win," ValleyCats second baseman Tony Kemp said.

With Tri-City in front 1-0, Kemp crushed a ball over the right-field fence — his first home run of the season — to extend the lead to 2-0 in the third inning.

"(Vermont starter Deyvi Jimenez) did a good job in the first inning. He got me in three pitches ... fastball, fastball and a changeup, and I struck out," Kemp said. "The first pitch was a ball and I made sure I didn't want to get to that changeup again, and he came with a fastball and I just put my best swing on it and luckily it went out."

ValleyCats starter Tanner Bushue retired the first seven batters he faced and kept the Lake Monsters off the board until the fifth inning when Luis Baez crossed the plate on a B.J. Boyd single with one out, prompting Romero to make a pitching change.

Albert Minnis, who earned the win, came on in relief and allowed the Lake Monsters (0-2) to level the game when Melvin Mercedes singled home Boyd.

In the bottom half of the fifth, Dan Gulbransen connected on a two-run homer to give Tri-City the lead back, 4-2.

"They brought in that new pitcher and I got ahead in the count 2-0, so I was just looking for my pitch to hit, put a good swing to it and the result was what it was," Gulbransen said.

James Ramsay went 2-for-4 with a run and Jon Kemmer finished 1-for-2 with two runs and a pair of RBIs for Tri-City.

The ValleyCats (2-0) wrap up their three-game homestand at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

"I think the first few games, even though there are a lot of them, I think you always want to get off on the right foot," Gulbransen said. "We got the first two, we come back and play hard (Wednesday), and we hit the road and take it from there."